Wet bandage fastener



Feb. H, 157 M. L. GRAIS WET BANDAGE FASTENER Filed May 25, 1953 2 r 5 5 LL7 [WI/Wm Maw/v 1.. 6mm

ATJvA/YIY:

WET BANDAGE FASTENER Melvin L. Grais, vMinneapolis, Minn.

Application May 25,- 1953, Serial No. 357,083

1 Claim. (Cl. 24--87) This invention relates to bandage fasteners. More particularly, it relates to devices .for securing wet bandages in desired positions after .they have been applied to various parts of the human anatomy.

In the treatment of skin conditions, physicians frequently recommend the application for prolonged periods of time, of bandages whichare-to be maintained in a moist condition. For such bandages, the .use of adhesive tape is generally quite unsatisfactory in that difiiculty is encountered in maintaining the tape in the desired position because of the persence of moisture. In addition, even if the tape is of a type which will hold under moist conditions, new tape would be required every time the bandage was changed. My invention is directed toward providing a simple and inexpensive type of fastener which will permit the quick and easy secural of such a bandage in the desired place.

it is a general object of my invention to provide a novel and improved wet bandage fastener of inexpensive and simple construction and application.

Another object is to provide an improved wet bandage fastener constructed to facilitate the application and release of the fastener to a bandage so as to save time and effort and prevent exasperation on the part of the user.

Another object is to provide an improved wet bandage fastening element which can be stamped from a single sheet of metal with a single stamping operation.

Another object is to provide an improved wet bandage fastening element having improved means for attachment to a strip of elastic webbing.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connnection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one end portion of a wet bandage fastener empodying my invention, the other end portion (not shown) being formed substantially identically therewith;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank form of the engaging element utilized in constructing my bandage fastener;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the engaging elements shown in Fig. 2 having been adapted for secural to a strip of elastic webbing; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

One embodiment of my invention may include, as shown in Figs. 1-4, an elongated strip of elastic webbing 5 secured as shown at each of its ends to one of a pair of bandage engaging elements indicated generally as 6. The bandage engaging element 6 is made of a flat thin sheet of rigid metal which can be readily bent as along the radius line shown in Fig. 2. Each sheet 7 as shown in Figs. 1-3, is elongated and has an inner end portion 8, an outer end portion 9, a pair of side portions 10 and 11 and a central or main body portion 12.

Extending downwardly from the main or central body portion 12 of the sheet 7 is a plurality of teeth 13. As

2,780,851 Patented Feb. 12, 1957 best shown in Fig. 4, these teeth 13'extend downwardly and parallel to the plane ofthe main body of the sheet 7. They are formed from the central or main body portion 12 of the sheet 7 by punching the same from the material thereof. It will be noted that these teeth are directed toward the inner end portion 8 of the sheet 7 and toward the elastic webbing 5.

The outer end portion 9 of the sheet 7 is bent upwardly and toward the inner end portion 8 to form a thumbengaging element 14, as best shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. This element 14 facilitates the attachment or'release of the bandage engaging element 6 in that it is relatively easy to engage the same through the use of the thumbnail to extract the teeth 13 from the fabric material of the bandage.

The inner end portion 8 carries a pair of additional teeth 15 which extend away from the end portion 8 and from the main body portion of the sheet 6. In the blank form, these teeth 15 extend in the same plane as the main body portion 12 of the sheet 6. Secured to the side portions 10 and 11 of the sheet -6 is a pair of locking tabs 16 and 17. As best'shown in Fig. 2, these locking tabs 16 and 17 extend laterally-from the side portions 10 and 11 at the inner end portion of the sheet 6.

Fig. 3 shows the blank form of Fig. 2 being adapted to be secured to the strip of webbing 5. The teeth 15 have been bent downwardly and toward the outer end portion 9 of the sheet 6. The locking tabs 16 and 17 have been bent downwardly so as to extend substantially normally to the main body of the sheet 6. The strip of elastic webbing 5 is then applied to the bandage engaging element 6 by forcing the teeth 15 into the webbing as best shown in Fig. 4 so that the teeth will engage the Webbing. The locking tabs 16 and 17 are then moved inwardly toward each other until they are in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 4 where they serve to lock the teeth 15 in engaging relation to the elastic webbing 5.

In the manufacture of my wet bandage fastener, the bandage engaging element 6 is blanked out of a flat sheet of thin metal so that after the blanking operation, the engaging element appears as shown in Fig. 2. Two of such elements are then secured to the opposite ends of a strip of elastic webbing 5 in the manner described in the preceding paragraph. This completes the assembly of the bandage fastener so that it is ready and available for use to secure a wet bandage in a desired position. To apply the fastener, one of the bandage engaging elements is applied to the bandage so that the teeth 13 extend into the bandage and engage the same. The elastic webbing 5 is then drawn to a stretched position or condition and the teeth 13 of the bandage engaging element at the other end of the elastic webbing 5 is pressed downwardly upon the bandage whereupon the teeth 15 will engage the fabric material of the bandage and maintain the bandage in the desired position. The application of this fastener is facilitated through the use of the element 14 which permits the user to readily apply or detach the fastener by utilizing a thumbnail therein.

The use of the teeth 15 and the locking tabs 16 and 17 greatly facilitates the production of these bandage fasteners. The locking tabs 16 and 17 provide an improved means of assuring that the elastic webbing 5 will not become detached from the bandage engaging elements.

Thus it can be seen that I have provided a novel and improved bandage fastener which can be quickly and easily applied to or detached from a wet bandage. The element 14 greatly facilitates the removal of the bandage for it enables the physician to cause the teeth 13 to readily disengage from the fabric of the wet bandage. As a result, the bandage fastener can be attached to and released from the wet bandage with a very substantial saving in time and eifort and removes the exasperation which would be so frequently experienced in disengaging such an element absent the element 14.

My bandage fastener has the distinct advantage of being capable of being manufactured in large numbers at a minimum of cost. In addition, it can be so quickly and easily applied to and released from a wet bandage that it is much more desirable than any bandage fastener previously known.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

A blank form of a bandage engaging element of a bandage fastener comprising a substantially fiat thin sheet of metal having a central portion, inner and outer end portions, and opposed side portions, a plurality of teeth formed from the central portion of said sheet and extending outwardly therefrom in a plane normal to the plane of said sheet and toward said inner end portion, a plurality of additional teeth carried by said sheet and extending away from said inner end portion, said last mentioned teeth being bent first outwardly from said sheet to the same side thereof as said first mentioned teeth and then toward said outer end portion to adapt the same to engage an end portion of a strip of elastic webbing to secure said sheet thereto, and a pair of locking tabs extending laterally from said inner end portion of said sheet, said tabs being adapted to be bent downwardly and toward each other after said last mentioned teeth have engaged such a strip of elastic webbing to lock said last mentioned teeth and such a piece of webbing in engaged relation, said outer end portion of said sheet being bent outwardly and in the same direction as said first mentioned teeth but at the opposite side of said sheet with respect thereto to provide ready means for engaging said sheet with a thumbnail to facilitate the attachment and release of a bandage engaging element to a bandage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 631,005 Custer Aug. 15, 1899 762,789 Williams June 14, 1904 828,951 Moran Aug. 21, 1906 1,170,582 Wardy Feb. 8, 1916 1,428,250 Norris Sept. 5, 1922 1,465,717 Mercer Aug. 21, 1923 1,496,601 Reinhart June 3, 1924 1,691,810 Itzerott Nov. 13, 1928 

